


Do the Right Thing

by Fodforever



Series: What If's for 1796 Broadway... (go read it!) [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 1796 Braodway, Gen, M/M, Mild Angst, Moar zoo!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2013-12-11
Packaged: 2018-01-04 09:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1079265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fodforever/pseuds/Fodforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The latest in this series based on the AMAZING epistolary fic “1796 Broadway,” where ‘Captain America respectfully requests that all complaints be addressed to him in writing.’</p><p>This part is set post Chapter 142: Rejecting Your Generosity. Some filler thoughts from Tony on their zoo trip, because it was just so cute! And thinking of them actually trying to hang out with all the feels flying around is giving me hives (the good kind).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do the Right Thing

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [1796 Broadway](https://archiveofourown.org/works/972937) by [rainproof](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainproof/pseuds/rainproof), [teaberryblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaberryblue/pseuds/teaberryblue). 



> *Title has nothing to do with the seminal Spike Lee movie

Tony is trying to do the right thing.

It doesn’t feel as weird as it used to. Before Iron Man, trying to do the right thing was like having a monkey strapped to his back. It was always someone else pulling him in the opposite direction. Pepper wanted him to attend a charity gala, Obie needed him to get those new designs in or the company wouldn’t be giving out Christmas bonuses. Rhodey tried to convince him not to fly to Tijuana on Cinco de Mayo with a bunch of strippers who were just as drunk as he was… well, maybe he didn’t do the “right” thing on that one.

The point is, he’s trying. And no one is making him this time. No one made him go to medical to get his hand looked at… no one is making him reign in the dozens of hurtful things he wants to say about _fucking_ Becky.

Though seriously, “Not boyfriend material”? He realizes he probably has blinders on at this point, but he literally can’t see one thing about Steve that _isn’t_ boyfriend material. Okay, yes Steve is stubborn, but so is he. And maybe Steve doesn't really know what he’s doing when it comes to being in a relationship, but… god, is it wrong that Tony actually finds that appealing? Like, for once he isn’t the only one that’s clueless about how “normal” relationships work. That for once it wouldn’t be someone trying to pull him into their idea of what he should be… always pulling. Even with Pepper he felt like… but Steve is just this unending force of acceptance. It’s addictive. He doesn’t feel like he’s being pulled at all, it’s like he’s got a fucking life raft.

So no one is making him do the “right” thing here, but he’s figuring it out. And the result is that he gets to be around Steve.

He gets to ride Steve’s motorcycle and go to the zoo and have the most perfect day he's had since everything blew apart with Pepper.

He gets to press himself against Steve’s back and fucking _revel_ in his warmth as it bleeds through his leather jacket, smile hidden under his helmet. And Steve grips Tony’s arm with the burned hand that can’t grip as well, and holds it tighter against him on the sharp turns to make sure he’s secure. Tethering him close.

So when they come to a stop Tony lets go right away; he does the right thing. There’s no lingering embrace or dip of his fingers under Steve’s t-shirt as he slides away.

He gets to see Steve smile, and joke and shovel popcorn and cotton candy and cinnamon sugar pretzel into his mouth with glee. So when he sees the ring of cinnamon and sugar coating Steve’s mouth, he doesn’t lean forward and swipe at it with his tongue, or brush it off with his own thumb and lick it clean. He hands Steve a napkin and suggests they go see the mongooses.

They can ride Steve’s motorcycle and go to the zoo, and if it isn’t exactly what he _wants_ from Steve right now, that’s okay. It’s enough.

It’s almost enough.

It was easier than he thought it would be. He kept his hands to himself the whole day, and only said about five things that could be considered flirting… and if he caught himself making moon eyes at Steve as he chased down a balloon that got away from a little girl, or had indecent thoughts as he watched Steve suck away at his lion cup, well, that’s what the extra layer of dark tint on his Oliver Peoples sunglasses is for.

He’d made a point to wear the sunglasses all day, sneaking looks at Steve as they walked and ate. It was almost as good as having the helmet on, or his armor. But when it came time to take pictures with the newlyweds in the park, Steve came up to him and broke into the unspoken one-foot personal bubble he’d kept between them (except for the motorcycle ride), neatly taking them off his face.

“You shouldn't hide behind sunglasses for this” he said, tucking one arm of the glasses into Tony’s collar so they rested against his chest. And Steve’s hand rested there on his chest for half a moment, and he was smiling and he was happy, and Jesus it was all Tony could do to not yell in his face “You are boyfriend material! You are the boyfriendiest!”

Instead he hooked his arms around the brides’ shoulders and smiled his best smile.

Because Tony is doing the right thing.

As they took several photos with the happy couple, Tony tried not to look at Steve too much, feeling so suddenly exposed.

But as they waved goodbye he didn't put them back on. He’s not really sure what he should be hiding from Steve at this point, and what he should show.

He’s not sure what will make Steve feel uncomfortable or pressured, or what will make him feel wanted and happy… he just knows that being around Steve makes everything so immeasurably better.

That he wants to be the same kind of support for Steve.

Tony isn’t 100% sure what the right thing is, but for right now, for Steve, he’ll take a step back, and take his sunglasses off, and just enjoy watching him drink from his lion cup.

He’s not going to push, but he’s not going hide either. He’s not going to call Becky out, or let slip that he did a fist-pump when he read that she possibly-probably ended things with Steve.

Honestly, about 75% of him was glad, because fuck Becky. But the other 25% knows it’s because Steve is kind of messed up too, isn’t he? And he probably needs to work on a lot of things before he gets involved with anyone.

And maybe Tony should take some of what he is dishing out and find a good therapist in New York… and maybe get a dog.

Or build a dog.

He could build the cutest robotic dog imaginable and Steve would realize that a robot dog is the opposite of terrifying. Maybe he’d make the metal alloys in red white and blue …

 

That sounds about right.

 

 

 


End file.
